Fat Chance Team Comp

Heidi Davis is a founding member of the New England Mountain Bike Association, a collection of chapters dedicated to preserving and enjoying the trails that exist in the North Eastern corner of the US. Heidi was also a Fat Chance team rider during the late 80s and early 90s, and her custom MTB was recently and briefly for sale on the floor of Boston’s Superb Bicycle.

NEMBA holds an important role within the mountain bike scene: training their members to be custodians of their trails and the precious spaces in which they inhabit. Heidi’s Chris Chance-built MTB would have been (and still is) the perfect vehicle to explore those trails, and it’s a testament to Heidi’s vision that NEMBA has now been established for over 20 years. Late last year Heidi decided it was time to move this piece of MTB history on, and it found its way to the floor of Boston’s Superb Bicycle store. The frame is equipped with Campagnolo’s prototype mountain components, pre-dating their short-lived Euclid gruppo, and also features details such as a snake wrapping around the front brake noodle and an enigmatic paint and decal scheme.

It is now sold: I’ll assume the new owner appreciates the value of the bike that’s in their possession, whether by riding or preserving it, in the same way it inspired Heidi Davis to found NEMBA. Special thanks to Jason Hollingsworth for the photography and the crew at Boston’s Superb Bicycle.

An absolutely sweet piece of mountain bike history. I worked at a Fat shop back in the early 90s (Newington Bicycle) and lusted for a yo eddy. Interesting that this bike doesn’t have a Yo! fork on it. Maybe this lighter, less stiff fork was more appropriate for Heidi’s size and riding style. That old Campy stuff always looked beautiful. Too bad it didn’t work as well as the competition.

Tonystrippoli

Really nice. Brings back memories. Remeber with Wicked Fat Chance? And you could get a sticker separately that said “F-ing” in the same type face? You guys should start a section that is called “tales from the bike shop”. I have so many stories of working in shops from late ’80s early ’90s. Like the time time Greg LeMonde’s brother in-law (yes they guy that shot him) came in to see used parts….

Fantastic looking Fat Chance. I don’t think it’s a Yo Eddy though. I have a ’91 Yo Eddy and a ’86 Fat Chance hanging in the garage, owned since that era. My ’86 has the head tube reinforcements (rings at top and bottom) as this bike does. My Yo Eddy does not have the head tube rings. That’s also not a Yo Eddy fork – no doubt on that.

Bike appears to be a Team Comp, at least fork anyway. In the end, who cares – bike pictured is an awesome display of all things Fat Chance. Fat City Cycles, R.I.P…